Sources of Indoor Air Pollution - Carbon Monoxide (CO)

Definition

Colorless gas or liquid; practically odorless.  Burns with a violet flame.  Slightly soluble in water; soluble in alcohol and benzene.  Specific gravity 0.96716;  boiling point -190^oC; solidification point -207^oC; specific volume 13.8 cu. ft./lb. (70^oF).  Auto ignition temperature (liquid) 1128^oF.  Classed as an inorganic compound.
Source:  "The Condensed Chemical Dictionary," 9th ed., revised by Gessner G. Hawley, Van Nostrand Reinhold Co., NY, 1977.

Sources of Carbon Monoxide

Unvented kerosene and gas space heaters; leaking chimneys and furnaces; back-drafting from furnaces, gas water heaters, wood stoves, and fireplaces; gas stoves; generators and other gasoline powered equipment; automobile exhaust from attached garages; and tobacco smoke.

Health Effects Associated with Carbon Monoxide

At low concentrations, fatigue in healthy people and chest pain in people with heart disease. At higher concentrations, impaired vision and coordination; headaches; dizziness; confusion; nausea. Can cause flu-like symptoms that clear up after leaving home. Fatal at very high concentrations.

Levels in Homes

Average levels in homes without gas stoves vary from 0.5 to 5 parts per million (ppm). Levels near properly adjusted gas stoves are often 5 to 15 ppm and those near poorly adjusted stoves may be 30 ppm or higher.

Steps to Reduce Exposure to Carbon Monoxide

• Keep gas appliances properly adjusted.
• Consider purchasing a vented space heater when replacing an unvented one.
• Use proper fuel in kerosene space heaters.
• Install and use an exhaust fan vented to outdoors over gas stoves.
• Open flues when fireplaces are in use.
• Choose properly sized wood stoves that are certified to meet EPA emission standards. Make certain that doors on all wood stoves fit tightly.
• Have a trained professional inspect, clean, and tune-up central heating system (furnaces, flues, and chimneys) annually. Repair any leaks promptly.
• Do not idle the car inside garage.

Additional Resources

Links

Office of Air and Radiation page - "CO - How Carbon Monoxide Affects the Way We Live and Breathe"

Office of Research and Development:

• Carbon Monoxide and the Nervous System.  Raub, J. A., and V. A. Benignus. Carbon Monoxide and the Nervous System. NEUROSCIENCE AND BIOBEHAVIORAL REVIEWS 26(8):925-940, (2002).
   
• Carbon Monoxide Poisoining - A Public Health Perspective.  Raub, J. A., M. Mathieunolf, N. B. Hampson, and S. R. Thom. Carbon Monoxide Poinsoning--a Public Health Perspective. TOXICOLOGY (145):1-14, (2000).
   
• Revised Evaluation of Health Effects Associated With Carbon Monoxide Exposure: An Addendum to the 1979 EPA Air Quality Criteria Document for Carbon Monoxide  Benignus, V., L. Grant, D. Mckee, and J. Raub. Revised Evaluation of Health Effects Associated With Carbon Monoxide Exposure: An Addendum to the 1979 EPA Air Quality Criteria Document for Carbon Monoxide. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., EPA/600/8-83/033F (NTIS PB85103471).

National Center for Environmental Health
Air and Respiratory Health Branch
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Checklist for Prevention of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission,
Office of Information and Public Affairs,
Washington, D.C. 20207
Carbon Monoxide Questions and Answers (CPSC document #466)

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission protects the public from the unreasonable risk of injury or death from 15,000 types of consumer products under the agency's jurisdiction. To report a dangerous product or a product-related injury, you can go to CPSC's forms page - www.cpsc.gov/talk.html and use the first on-line form on that page. Or, you can call CPSC's hotline at (800) 638-2772 or CPSC's teletypewriter at (800) 638-8270, or send the information to info@cpsc.gov.

"Your Home Fire Safety Checklist" (http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/pubs/556.html ) - CPSC

American Lung Association Fact Sheet on Carbon Monoxide
www.lungusa.org/air/carbon_factsheet99.html

Occupational Safety and Health Administration's Fact Sheet on Carbon Monoxide (a pdf file) - www.osha.gov/OshDoc/data_General_Facts/carbonmonoxide-factsheet.pdf 

"Carbon Monoxide Poisoning"  www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/carbonmonoxidepoisoning.html   Medline Plus Health Topics, a service of the U.S. National National Library of Medicine and the National Institute of Health

About Your House - Carbon Monoxide, Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/en/burema/gesein/abhose/abhose_ce25.cfm

U.S. Coast Guard Boating Safety warning: http://www.uscgboating.org/news/boatingview.aspx?id=22

CPSC Recommends Carbon Monoxide Alarm for Every Home (January 18, 2001 CPSC Release # 01-069)

After a recent rash of carbon monoxide poisonings - including incidents in Maryland, Pennsylvania and New Jersey -- the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is repeating its recommendation that every home should have a carbon monoxide (CO) alarm. CPSC also urges consumers to have a professional inspection of all fuel- burning appliances -- including furnaces, stoves, fireplaces, clothes dryers, water heaters, and space heaters -- to detect deadly carbon monoxide leaks.  CPSC recommends that every home should have at least one CO alarm that meets the requirements of the most recent Underwriters Laboratories (UL) 2034 standard or International Approval Services 6-96 standard.   www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml01/01069.html

Publications/Resources

Protect Your Family and Yourself from Carbon Monoxide Poisoning, October 1996 (402-F-96-005)

Discusses health hazards associated with exposure to carbon monoxide (CO), a colorless, odorless gas which can cause headaches, dizziness, nausea, faintness, and, at high levels, death. Provides guidance on what to do if you think you are suffering from CO poisoning and what to do to prevent exposure to CO. Also included is a brief discussion about carbon monoxide detectors.

Proteja su vida y la de su familia evitando el envenenamiento con monóxido de carbono (ref. # 402-F-97-004)

This fact sheet has also been translated into Vietnamese (ref. # 402-F-96-005C), Chinese (ref. # 402-F-96-005A), and Korean (ref. # 402-F-96-005B). To get copies of any of these, contact IAQINFO at 1-800-438-4318.

ALERT!! Preventing Carbon Monoxide Poisoning from Small Gasoline-Powered Engines and Tools. (1996)

This joint alert from NIOSH, CDPHE, CPSC, OSHA and EPA warns that people using gasoline-powered tools such as high-pressure washers, concrete cutting saws (walk-behind/hand-held), power trowels, floor buffers, welders, pumps, compressors, and generators in buildings or semi-enclosed spaces have been poisoned by Carbon Monoxide. Recommendations for preventing CO poisoning are provided for employers, equipment users, tool rental agencies, and tool manufacturers.

Single copies of the Alert [DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 96-118] are available for free from:  Publication Dissemination, IED, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health; 4676 Columbia Parkway, Cincinnati, OH 45226
fax number: (513) 533-8573, phone number: 1-800-35-NIOSH (1-800-356-4674)
e-mail: pubstaft@niosdt1.em.cdc.gov

The "Senseless" Killer, 1993

Prepared by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, this leaflet describes symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning, sources of carbon monoxide in the home, and actions that can reduce the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.

What You Should Know About Combustion Appliances and Indoor Air Pollution, 1993 (400-F-91-100)

This brochure was prepared by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, the American Lung Association, and the EPA and answers commonly-asked questions about the effect of combustion appliances (e.g., fuel-burning furnaces, space heaters, kitchen ranges, and fireplaces) on indoor air quality and human health. It describes other sources of combustion pollutants in and around the home and it suggests ways to reduce exposure to such pollutants and encourages proper installation, use, and maintenance of combustion appliances.

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